Thomas Howard (linebacker) life and biography

Thomas Howard is an American football linebacker for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League.

PRO: Playmaking outside linebacker who recorded his seventh career interception last season…Productive performer earned a starting job his rookie year and has started 47 of 48 games in his three seasons with the Raiders.

2008: Started all 16 games for the second straight year…Ranked third on the team with 97 tackles and 80 solo stops…Also recorded one sack, one quarterback hurry, one interception, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles…(9/8) vs. DEN: Collected four tackles…(9/14) @ KC: Tallied a team-high five solo tackles and assisted on two additional tackles…Sacked Chiefs QB for an 8-yard loss…Also recorded two passes defensed and forced a fumble…(9/21) @ BUF: Notched four solo tackles and two assists…(9/28) vs. SD: Racked up four solo tackles…(10/12) @ NO: Tied a career-high and led team with 11 tackles…(10/19) vs. NYJ: Recorded seven total tackles (five solo)…(10/26) @ BAL: Racked up seven total tackles…(11/2) vs. ATL: Recorded seven solo tackles…(11/9) vs. CAR: Had three solo tackles and two assists…Had one tackle for a loss…(11/16) @ MIA: Tallied seven solo tackles…Had one pass defensed…(11/23) @ DEN: Made seven solo tackles and an assist…Intercepted a pass and had one pass defensed…(11/30) vs. KC: Had five total tackles, including two for a loss…(12/4) @ SD: Made four tackles (three)…(12/14) vs. NE: Contributed four total tackles…(12/21) vs. HOU: Had five solo tackles, including one tackle for a loss…Recorded one pass defensed…(12/28) @ TB: Had five solo tackles and one assist.

2007: Started all 16 games at outside linebacker…Had a team and career high in interceptions with six and led the AFC in interception return yardage (172) while returning two for scores…Racked up 76 tackles, one sack and defensed 11 passes…Also recovered one fumble…(9/9) vs. DET: Had five solo tackles and an assist…In the fourth quarter, sacked Detroit QB on third-and-goal to hold the Lions to a field goal…(9/16) @ DEN: Intercepted a pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown to give the Raiders an 18-17 fourth quarter lead…Led the team with nine solo tackles and 10 combined tackles…Also had two passes defensed and a fumble recovery…(9/23) vs. CLE: Intercepted pass in the second quarter and returned it 26 yards…Recorded five solo tackles and had three assists…(9/30) @ MIA: Returned an interception 28 yards to the Miami 11-yard line to set up a WR Jerry Porter touchdown reception…Had four solo tackles and two passes defensed…(10/14) @ SD: Intercepted a pass for the fourth consecutive game and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown…Recorded two solo tackles and an assist…(10/21) vs. KC: Recorded six solo tackles, assisted on two others and had a pass defensed…(10/28) @ TEN: Recorded four solo tackles and assisted on two…Had one pass defensed…(11/4) vs. HOU: Had six solo tackles and an assist…(11/11) vs. CHI: Recorded seven solo tackles and an assist…(11/18) @ MIN: Had three solo tackles…(11/25) @ KC: Recorded two solo tackles and had three assists…(12/2) vs. DEN: Had five solo tackles and assisted on two...Intercepted a pass in Denver territory to set up a K Sebastian Janikowski field goal…(12/9) @ GB: Recorded three solo tackles…(12/16) vs. IND: Had five solo tackles and two passes defensed…Intercepted pass in the second quarter…(12/23) @ JAX: Recorded seven solo tackles…(12/30) vs. SD: Had four solo tackles and assisted on another.

2006: Played in all 16 games, starting 15 at outside linebacker…Recorded 110 tackles (88), 4.5 tackles for a loss and two passes defensed…(9/11) vs. SD: Led team with nine tackles…(9/17) @ BAL: Recorded seven tackles…(10/1) vs. CLE: Started at LB, recorded six tackles…(10/8) @ SF: Played on special teams, recorded seven tackles…(10/15) @ DEN: Played on special teams, recorded five tackles…(10/22) vs. AZ: Saw action at LB, recorded five tackles…(10/29) vs. PIT: Recorded seven tackles and deflected a pass that was intercepted by CB Nnamdi Asomugha and returned for a TD…(11/6) @ SEA: Recorded seven tackles…(11/12) vs. DEN: Started at LB and played on special teams, recording eight tackles…(11/19) @ KC: Recorded two tackles…(11/26) @ SD: Recorded four tackles…(12/3) vs. HOU: Led team with 10 tackles…(12/10) @ CIN: Collected nine tackles…(12/17) vs. STL: Recorded four tackles…(12/23) vs. KC: Notched six tackles…(12/31) @ NYJ: Recorded a career-high 11 tackles…Raiders second round selection (38th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE:
Former strong safety moved into the starting lineup midway through his redshirt freshman season at weakside linebacker before shifting to the strongside as a junior…In 48 games with the Miners, the defensive captain recorded 296 tackles (182) with 13 sacks…40 of his tackles stymied opposing scoring drives, coming on third down plays and he added three more drive-killing stops on fourth down plays…His 34.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage ranked third on the school’s career record list…Registered a touchdown on a fumble recovery and added another touchdown on an interception return…As a senior in 2005, was an All-Conference USA second team selection after ranking third on the team with 85 tackles (44)…Had three sacks for minus-21 yards and seven stops for losses of 30 yards…Credited with three quarterback pressures and recovered a fumble…Deflected seven passes and gained 20 yards on an interception return…In 2004, All-Western Athletic Conference first team pick by The NFL Draft Report, adding second team honors from the league’s media and coaches…Ranked third on the team with 62 tackles (48)…Second in the WAC with eight sacks for minus-59 yards (fourth-best season total in school history)…Collected 14 stops for losses of 74 yards, the ninth-best season total in UTEP annals…Also caused three fumbles, recovered two others, intercepted two passes and deflected four others…As sophomore in 2003, started 11 games at weakside linebacker and finished second on the team, collecting a career-high 118 tackles (67) with two sacks and 11.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage…Also returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown and deflected a pass…Played in 11 games at weakside linebacker in 2002 as a redshirt freshman and started four times, recording 31 tackles (23) with two stops for losses and a pass break-up…Recovered a fumble that he returned 54 yards for a touchdown to help him earn The Sporting News All-WAC Freshman Team honors…Communications major.

PERSONAL:
All-district honorable mention at Estacado High in Lubbock, Texas, adding all-city honors as a senior…Named team’s Outstanding Defensive Back after registering 100 tackles and two interceptions his senior year as a strong safety…Also lettered in track and was a member of the National Honor Society…Father, Thomas Sr., was an All-American at Texas Tech who went on to play in NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals…Cousin, Terry Ellis, is a member of the singing group, En Vogue.

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